In early 2000, we acquired litter mates Boris and Natasha. While not strays, they were the babies of a stray kitten adopted by friends. Sadly, Natasha died of feline cancer in 2006.
Meanwhile, in 2005, a stray mama cat and her just-weaned kitten showed up on our back porch. We sat outside and talked to him as he gradually got closer and eventually let us touch him. Once mama found Moose a good home, she disappeared. Outdoors, he pretends to be feral, but when he comes inside, he's a teddy bear.
In August of 2008, my son found a tiny kitten under the hood of the car, covered in grease and fleas. He cleaned her up and she won his heart, as well as the scorn of our other two cats. Boris the black cat is determined to be Alpha male, and is also proud of his prowess at catching (catnip) mice, while Moose the orange cat is the mighty hunter of lizards and bugs (and a few real mice) who’s afraid of everything. Oslo the kitten sleeps in the dirty laundry, dreaming, no doubt, of how best to annoy her big brothers.
And here they are in my quilt, Cornered! (2009). All are based on my photos, and constructed of fused fabric with threadpainted fur.
Boris the black cat
Moose the orange cat
Oslo the kitten
You can see the full view of Cornered! here.
New Beginnings Sunday is a weekly series featuring the story of a rescued pet and the ways in which the life of the animal and person has changed. This series will run through the end of 2009 in conjunction with Breaking Traditions Art Quilt Exhibit’s fundraising efforts for Bernie Berlin’s animal shelter, “A Place to Bark.”
**If you have a story that you would like to share, please email it along with a picture or two of your pet to BreakingTraditions@earthlink.net
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